Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Of twitter and Twits
Harrumpher has a new rant on the stream-0f-consciousness tools like twitter and the like. There's no politics, even lefty stuff. It's one of those posts in the class that no longer appear here.
Overstuffed National SSM Sandwich
This may quickly fall into the block-that-metaphor class. The U.S. is looking more and more like a sandwich on same-sex marriage. The two coasts are very thin bread and the inside of the huge middle are the retarded filling, a lot of stuffing in there, falling over from the South.Whew. That's as far as we can take this, but consider the implications.
Among the First World nations, we are unquestionably the slowest on social issues, hence retarded. We do get there and the trend toward civil unions first and then leaning, leaning, leaning toward marriage equality follow.
It appears as though the legislative firecrackers that preceded and followed Goodridge and our SSM was the dying throes of our socially slowest and most regressive states. They did indeed dig holes for themselves in rushes to define marriage in law and amendment or both. Fortunately for their self-respect and ability to keep going, most of these regressive sorts have short memories and long records of justification. When it comes time to repeal or replace these limits in a few years or a decade or two, they'll say it seemed necessary at the time.
However the coasts are looking much more civil-rights and marriage-equality minded. New Hampshire is about to provide most marriage rights in their spousal union legislation. Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut are already there with civil unions. New York is on the lip. Maine passed its gay-rights and domestic partnership laws -- and turned back the Dark Side who wanted to overturn them. Rhode Island is much closer to marriage-equality or civil unions and ready to honor Massachusetts marriages.
Out on the Left Coast, Washington just passed a domestic-partnership bill. The California legislature will legalize SSM again, only to face veto by their sad little governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. There, the majority grows and will be veto-proof soon or they will have new governor with more compassion and intelligence. Oregon too may pass a domestic partner bill or gay rights including civil unions.
Both coasts, filled with the educated, affluent and more liberal voters lead here. This is no more surprising than then opposite political preponderance in the Midwest and South.
Apparently, this war is over and marriage equality has won. However, like some distant jungle battle, the skirmishes will continue. Think the WWII Japanese soldiers who remained and kept ready to fight many decades later in caves and on islands. Likewise, the SSM foes are unlikely to admit defeat or accept that the rest of the nation and indeed the rest of the world has moved on.This is becoming the Wack-A-Mole of politics. SSM haters say if only the legislature legalizes SSM, they'll go away. They don't. It's the same for ballot initiatives and court decisions. No matter what form of democracy tamps them down, they pop right back up like dandelions.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, same sex marriage, civil unions domestic partnership
Monday, April 09, 2007
Massachusetts Rolls Over
A deep irony relating to our nefarious 1913 out-of-state marriage statutes lies in the etiquette issue. New Englanders and particularly Bostonians take great pride in claims of being America's intellectuals. Understandably though, they don't brag about how well mannered they are. Instead, nationwide and even worldwide, we are known for being brusque and for expecting visitors to adapt to us. Thank you very much and do it right now.
It is in this one area -- General Laws Chapter 207, Sections 11, 12, 13 and 50 -- that we humiliate ourselves. We roll on our back like a dog exposing its belly. Please, please, let us be the only state to accommodate whatever marriage laws you have. Pay no attention to our legal marriages. We humbly beseech you for approval.
Let us be plain about this. We are the only state playing this game. The others tell us our marriages they wouldn't have performed are worth less than dirt. We thank them.
Worcester's Telegram had a nice recap yesterday on the appeasers' arguments for keeping these laws. It's worth reading for a chuckle or three.
First of all, unless you are anti-gay, anti-marriage equality or both, there is no reason to offer any defense of these laws. They are entirely one-sided and have always been such. If other states recognize our other civil laws and procedures, down to driving licenses, they need to deal with the rest of them, as we do with theirs.
Beyond marriage, there are others that may be parallel. For instance, states have different regulations about physicians or attorneys or realtors who can practice there. That's different, but the same. It shows how states can create and enforce their own laws and regulations, sometimes honoring another states for comity's sake and other times demanding adherence to local standards.
However, marriage is generally the exception. Until then President Bill Clinton's right-wing pandering support for the the Defense of Marriage Act, state governments had no expectation that they could actively discriminate against homosexuals in marriage. Not only had it not arisen before Vermont's civil unions and our Goodridge decision, but denying comity in marriage among states had only been meaningful when it was legal to forbid interracial marriages in some states.
In 2007, it is outrageous that we alone would become the appeasers. Suddenly, then Gov. Willard Romney and then AG Tom Reilly held that Massachusetts had to shield other states from legal challenges to their marriage laws, to statutes that forbade homosexual marriages.
Yet, from the beginning of this nation, we have advanced often through court challenges and legal interpretations. It is never a continuous climb to egalitarianism and equality, but we do ascend slowly and steadily, albeit with switchbacks.
Not only is it not Massachusetts' job to be the passive and obedient child with bowed head trying not to offend 40 some sibling states. The beach is broad and the tide continues to lap. With many thousands of married same-sex couples legally united here, how is it that we are to protect those delicate Virginia, South Carolina and Wyoming courts from the terror of having to discuss their discriminatory and defensive marriage laws and amendments?
We need to get real about this. Comity rides respect. We honor your laws; you honor our laws; we all get along.
It is not our duty to kowtow to the bigots. When legally married Massachusetts couples move to their states, they may have to deal with it. Perhaps their laws and amendments rejecting those marriages will withstand scrutiny and court challenges. Perhaps they won't.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, same sex marriage, comity
It is in this one area -- General Laws Chapter 207, Sections 11, 12, 13 and 50 -- that we humiliate ourselves. We roll on our back like a dog exposing its belly. Please, please, let us be the only state to accommodate whatever marriage laws you have. Pay no attention to our legal marriages. We humbly beseech you for approval.
Let us be plain about this. We are the only state playing this game. The others tell us our marriages they wouldn't have performed are worth less than dirt. We thank them.
Worcester's Telegram had a nice recap yesterday on the appeasers' arguments for keeping these laws. It's worth reading for a chuckle or three.
First of all, unless you are anti-gay, anti-marriage equality or both, there is no reason to offer any defense of these laws. They are entirely one-sided and have always been such. If other states recognize our other civil laws and procedures, down to driving licenses, they need to deal with the rest of them, as we do with theirs.
Beyond marriage, there are others that may be parallel. For instance, states have different regulations about physicians or attorneys or realtors who can practice there. That's different, but the same. It shows how states can create and enforce their own laws and regulations, sometimes honoring another states for comity's sake and other times demanding adherence to local standards.
However, marriage is generally the exception. Until then President Bill Clinton's right-wing pandering support for the the Defense of Marriage Act, state governments had no expectation that they could actively discriminate against homosexuals in marriage. Not only had it not arisen before Vermont's civil unions and our Goodridge decision, but denying comity in marriage among states had only been meaningful when it was legal to forbid interracial marriages in some states.
In 2007, it is outrageous that we alone would become the appeasers. Suddenly, then Gov. Willard Romney and then AG Tom Reilly held that Massachusetts had to shield other states from legal challenges to their marriage laws, to statutes that forbade homosexual marriages.
Yet, from the beginning of this nation, we have advanced often through court challenges and legal interpretations. It is never a continuous climb to egalitarianism and equality, but we do ascend slowly and steadily, albeit with switchbacks.
Not only is it not Massachusetts' job to be the passive and obedient child with bowed head trying not to offend 40 some sibling states. The beach is broad and the tide continues to lap. With many thousands of married same-sex couples legally united here, how is it that we are to protect those delicate Virginia, South Carolina and Wyoming courts from the terror of having to discuss their discriminatory and defensive marriage laws and amendments?
We need to get real about this. Comity rides respect. We honor your laws; you honor our laws; we all get along.
It is not our duty to kowtow to the bigots. When legally married Massachusetts couples move to their states, they may have to deal with it. Perhaps their laws and amendments rejecting those marriages will withstand scrutiny and court challenges. Perhaps they won't.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, same sex marriage, comity
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Moss Grows on VT Governor
Vermont's governor orates loudly about wiring his state for internet and cellphone access. When it comes to marriage equality though, he's a mumbler and a bit of a milquetoast.
At the News(s) England Revolution conference at UMASS-Lowell yesterday, Jim Douglas gave the keynote. He also chairs the region's governor's council. He's a nice guy, in a sort of tax accountant way, in appearance and mannerisms.
I sandbagged him afterward asking about the likelihood of civil unions migrating into same-sex marriage in Vermont. His state was the nation's first to offer the approximation of marriage for homosexual couples, beginning seven years ago. That followed the state Supreme Court ruling in Baker v. Vermont at the end of 1999.
The decision has been great for civil rights. It's worked real well and other states can see how benign and easy it is.
One would think the pioneer would be the next state for full marriage rights in this kind of civil contract. Also, pressure has grown in the state to move from unions to marriage. There is a fair possibility that the legislature will pass such legislation this year or next at the latest.
I asked Douglas if a same-sex marriage law appeared on his desk if he'd sign it. He neither shouted at me nor reached for the smelling salts, although I think he was closer to doing the latter.
Douglas turned from that orator to that mumbler. "I guess I'm for the status quo," he said softly.
He claimed to "remember the angst of seven years ago." He also said that he did not expect (I heard in my head he hoped) that no such bill would pass.
He deflected any philosophic points or legal ones. Instead he would say, "I'd rather concentrate on other issues."
Maybe Deval Patrick can chat him up on this.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, Vermont, James Douglas, same-sex marriage, civil unions
At the News(s) England Revolution conference at UMASS-Lowell yesterday, Jim Douglas gave the keynote. He also chairs the region's governor's council. He's a nice guy, in a sort of tax accountant way, in appearance and mannerisms.
I sandbagged him afterward asking about the likelihood of civil unions migrating into same-sex marriage in Vermont. His state was the nation's first to offer the approximation of marriage for homosexual couples, beginning seven years ago. That followed the state Supreme Court ruling in Baker v. Vermont at the end of 1999.
The decision has been great for civil rights. It's worked real well and other states can see how benign and easy it is.
One would think the pioneer would be the next state for full marriage rights in this kind of civil contract. Also, pressure has grown in the state to move from unions to marriage. There is a fair possibility that the legislature will pass such legislation this year or next at the latest.
I asked Douglas if a same-sex marriage law appeared on his desk if he'd sign it. He neither shouted at me nor reached for the smelling salts, although I think he was closer to doing the latter.
Douglas turned from that orator to that mumbler. "I guess I'm for the status quo," he said softly.
He claimed to "remember the angst of seven years ago." He also said that he did not expect (I heard in my head he hoped) that no such bill would pass.
He deflected any philosophic points or legal ones. Instead he would say, "I'd rather concentrate on other issues."
Maybe Deval Patrick can chat him up on this.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, Vermont, James Douglas, same-sex marriage, civil unions
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Bloggers -- Punks Turning Powerful
If there are data strongly suggesting that blogs did, in fact, have a strong impact in national and state elections over the past several years, I have not seen them. Certainly the consensus is that they did, and a few measurable indicators, such as amounts blogs raised for candidates, support that.
However a funny thing happened on the way to legitimacy. Actually several did, including:
It looks to be maybe 100 or more of us there today. I was surprised how much of the New England News Forum event had blogger content, both subject and participants.
Many of us came for personal contact with each other, but more for the technology and techniques exchange and education. Some was humbling, as in the session with co-leader Steve Garfield of Rocketboom and his eponymous sites. He had his latest Nokia toy -- HD video camera in a cell phone -- witch which he captured the session. We were not worthy.
Three of us just started our audio podcasts, based online at Left Ahead! It was cruel of him, but understandable to ask me during the roundtable self-introductions if that was all. Why weren't we video blogging? How 2005 we are, he might have added.
At least he's such a slug that he didn't post from Lowell. His sites don't have today's videos up yet. They are less powerful in his phone than on the Net.
I did first meet some of our loudest, surest bloggers, like Lynne and Susan, at a 99 there to plan the BlogLeft gathering. Then, we swarmed there for the lieutenant-governor debate. You can search for either of those here or grab the live chatter at BMG. It was fun and it was Lowell-based.
Meanwhile, seven candidates to be candidates have announced as much as one can for a non-vacant seat. That may not be surprising, but it is that six of the seven trotted to the conference to present themselves and their positions to the bloggers assembled, plus the smattering of professional media.
That is not purely an expression of rising blogger clout. Much of that is the same quiet force that assembled the would-be lieutenant governor gathering last year. The new personal blogger, long-term registrar of deeds, and Lowell Democratic committee chair Dick Howe rakes 'em in. Dick asks and they come.
See earlier coverage for the rush on the discussion and presentation by the candidates today. Look for catty commentary, minor insights, and more on the candidates in future posts.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
However a funny thing happened on the way to legitimacy. Actually several did, including:
- Newspapers suddenly switched from unsuccessfully deriding bloggers into adding their own blogs; they ceded the battle and dramatically increased credibility.
- While a preponderance of blogs still are of the ain't-my-kids-cute or my-daffy-day variety, political, news and citizen reporter sites grow stronger, more read and more sophisticated, even if their number do not grow quickly.
- Many urban and suburban dailies are slashing staff, driving their prime advertiser-attractive readers to seek additional or alternative news sources, including blogs.
- Politicians and government agencies increasingly recognize some bloggers as indistinguishable legally from traditional reporters.
- The public perception of bloggers is shifting from volatile ranters to volatile ranters with a healthy smattering of solid, electronic journalists.
Rapping in Wang Land
In a very intense one-day News(s) England Revolution conference at UMASS-Lowell, our local kind-of reputable bloggers and a mix of scholars, professional journalists and observers huddled, muttered and ranted about their topics of interest -- what they did, what worked, what failed and what's next. Check today's posts here, at Left in Lowell, or at Left Ahead! for short live blogs. Other comments from our fellow travelers will certainly appear.It looks to be maybe 100 or more of us there today. I was surprised how much of the New England News Forum event had blogger content, both subject and participants.
Many of us came for personal contact with each other, but more for the technology and techniques exchange and education. Some was humbling, as in the session with co-leader Steve Garfield of Rocketboom and his eponymous sites. He had his latest Nokia toy -- HD video camera in a cell phone -- witch which he captured the session. We were not worthy.
Three of us just started our audio podcasts, based online at Left Ahead! It was cruel of him, but understandable to ask me during the roundtable self-introductions if that was all. Why weren't we video blogging? How 2005 we are, he might have added.
At least he's such a slug that he didn't post from Lowell. His sites don't have today's videos up yet. They are less powerful in his phone than on the Net.
High in Lowell
We never miss the Lowell Folk Festival in late July if we can be around. We've been doing that for 15 or may 18 years Otherwise, we don't spend a lot of time in that historic berg. Although, we did trot up specially for a Marcia Ball fund raiser.I did first meet some of our loudest, surest bloggers, like Lynne and Susan, at a 99 there to plan the BlogLeft gathering. Then, we swarmed there for the lieutenant-governor debate. You can search for either of those here or grab the live chatter at BMG. It was fun and it was Lowell-based.
Six Times Relevant
Not only is U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan's corpse not yet stiff or cold, he's not about to die. He just shifted in his bed, away from the side marked CONGRESS. He has announced only that he's quitting as of May 9th.Meanwhile, seven candidates to be candidates have announced as much as one can for a non-vacant seat. That may not be surprising, but it is that six of the seven trotted to the conference to present themselves and their positions to the bloggers assembled, plus the smattering of professional media.
That is not purely an expression of rising blogger clout. Much of that is the same quiet force that assembled the would-be lieutenant governor gathering last year. The new personal blogger, long-term registrar of deeds, and Lowell Democratic committee chair Dick Howe rakes 'em in. Dick asks and they come.
See earlier coverage for the rush on the discussion and presentation by the candidates today. Look for catty commentary, minor insights, and more on the candidates in future posts.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
Dozen Legs Race for Meehan's Spot
Six of the seven pols aspiring to fill 5th Congressional District seat held by Marty Meehan attended the the New(s) England Revolution conference. They largely want to bring our troops in Iraq home -- with some spongy wording (no time tables and words about making sure they were safe). Likewise, they offered greater distinction in the way they described their backgrounds than in their positions on hot issues.
David O’Brien, Eileen Donoghue, Jamie Eldridge, Barry Finegold, Jim DiPaola and Niki Tsongas attended.
Donoghue referred to her school committee chair and her service as Lowell mayor. However, she spoke like a U.S. Rep. candidate. She wants to "bring the men and women home safely" from Iraq. She would work for health care for all. She would not support renewing the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, but stopped short of saying where she'd draw the line.
She made her strongest, longest statement about education. She opposed federal unfunded mandates for education, based on benchmarks. She thinks "a first-class education should be a right" for all children and young adults.
She concluded her time by saying not only could she do the job, but that as mayor, "I have done the job."
Eldridge also wanted the bring the troops home from Iraq. He was the first to call for active involvement in ending global warming. He would like to see a rapid move to single-payer health care nationwide.
Finegold painted himself as the independent and principled candidate. For example, "I stood up for (state House Speaker Tom) Finneran. I stood up for gay rights." Among his broader positions was a support for engagement and dialog with enemies, such as Syria. He thus approved of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria and thinks that our best opportunities for peace come with dialog.
Tsongas stressed briefly bringing the troops home too. She was at the disadvantage of following many popular consensus positions. She did say that we as a nation needed to take "concerted steps to solving" global warming.
She did not invoke her beloved, late husband Paul until her most powerful statement -- on immigration. She noted that Paul came from an immigrant family that that he was just one proof of the value of people moving to this country to contribute to the nation. She supports the Kennedy/McCain concepts of earned citizenship.
She also was strong on education, which she said had two great advantages. One is giving people the hope for advancement for themselves and their families. The other is that fully supported and funded education from pre-school through college is our best way to begin reducing the large prison population.
DiPaola was the odd man out. He was an 18-year Malden police veteran, much of that as an undercover narc. He sounded a bit like Tom Reilly in the past gubernatorial election. His tool chest seems to have two items -- enforcement and crime prevention. He attributes crime to a disproportionate amount of our troubles. That's understandable from his background.
He depicted himself as a turn-around manager too. For example, he said he revamped the sheriff's office, buildings, and procedures.
His closing statement also included a call for Gov. Deval Patrick to put a veteran's official back in the cabinet to ensure the welfare of returning soldiers.
O'Brien said that his constituents reported that soldiers no longer understand why they are being sent or returned to Iraq. He wants the troops home.
His wild card was a good way to address the audience. He noted that there were no credentialed bloggers in the U.S. Congress. He wants to change that.
He differentiated himself by saying he was "the opportunity builder." He cited him and his brother working to make a dangerous and decrepit Lowell housing project livable.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
David O’Brien, Eileen Donoghue, Jamie Eldridge, Barry Finegold, Jim DiPaola and Niki Tsongas attended.
Donoghue referred to her school committee chair and her service as Lowell mayor. However, she spoke like a U.S. Rep. candidate. She wants to "bring the men and women home safely" from Iraq. She would work for health care for all. She would not support renewing the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, but stopped short of saying where she'd draw the line.
She made her strongest, longest statement about education. She opposed federal unfunded mandates for education, based on benchmarks. She thinks "a first-class education should be a right" for all children and young adults.
She concluded her time by saying not only could she do the job, but that as mayor, "I have done the job."
Eldridge also wanted the bring the troops home from Iraq. He was the first to call for active involvement in ending global warming. He would like to see a rapid move to single-payer health care nationwide.
Finegold painted himself as the independent and principled candidate. For example, "I stood up for (state House Speaker Tom) Finneran. I stood up for gay rights." Among his broader positions was a support for engagement and dialog with enemies, such as Syria. He thus approved of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria and thinks that our best opportunities for peace come with dialog.
Tsongas stressed briefly bringing the troops home too. She was at the disadvantage of following many popular consensus positions. She did say that we as a nation needed to take "concerted steps to solving" global warming.
She did not invoke her beloved, late husband Paul until her most powerful statement -- on immigration. She noted that Paul came from an immigrant family that that he was just one proof of the value of people moving to this country to contribute to the nation. She supports the Kennedy/McCain concepts of earned citizenship.
She also was strong on education, which she said had two great advantages. One is giving people the hope for advancement for themselves and their families. The other is that fully supported and funded education from pre-school through college is our best way to begin reducing the large prison population.
DiPaola was the odd man out. He was an 18-year Malden police veteran, much of that as an undercover narc. He sounded a bit like Tom Reilly in the past gubernatorial election. His tool chest seems to have two items -- enforcement and crime prevention. He attributes crime to a disproportionate amount of our troubles. That's understandable from his background.
He depicted himself as a turn-around manager too. For example, he said he revamped the sheriff's office, buildings, and procedures.
His closing statement also included a call for Gov. Deval Patrick to put a veteran's official back in the cabinet to ensure the welfare of returning soldiers.
O'Brien said that his constituents reported that soldiers no longer understand why they are being sent or returned to Iraq. He wants the troops home.
His wild card was a good way to address the audience. He noted that there were no credentialed bloggers in the U.S. Congress. He wants to change that.
He differentiated himself by saying he was "the opportunity builder." He cited him and his brother working to make a dangerous and decrepit Lowell housing project livable.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
VT Gov. Flogs Internet Access
At the New(s) England Revolution conference, Vermont Gov. James Douglas calls for telecommunications infrastructure for sustainable growth and innovation.
He says his state has the Creative Economy. It has more authors per capital and many artists. Yet both classes as those in addition to business often need broadband to communicate with clients, patrons or customers. Often too, high-speed connections are not available.
He suggests that having the Oxford University library and the like available for his state's isolated colleges would help them enhance their offerings, while maintaining their identities.
Vermont lags the nation in government's ability to service its citizens electronically, moving up to 41st, but still way down. He wanted 90% broadband by the end of 2007. In the past two years,
they have moved up 20%, but "getting to that last remote home up the mountain" will mark success, at 100%.
The state has made last-mile grants, but wants public/private partnerships to complete the job. By a vote of 132 to 2 the state legislature passed Douglas' bill to create the Vermont Telecommunications Authority. This can raise $40 million bonds to fund and help create wireless towers to finish the job of universal access.
All of New England is aging; Maine and Vermont are one and two oldest average aged states in the country. Seniors "don't take jobs; they aren't in the workforce." That means shrinking workforce. So, the right infrastructure is necessary to compensate.
Douglas is also head of the New England Governors' Council. He admits that columnist Neal Pierce is right that all the states here could benefit from more regional thinking. He points to energy as a great way for the New England States to develop such cooperation.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
He says his state has the Creative Economy. It has more authors per capital and many artists. Yet both classes as those in addition to business often need broadband to communicate with clients, patrons or customers. Often too, high-speed connections are not available.
He suggests that having the Oxford University library and the like available for his state's isolated colleges would help them enhance their offerings, while maintaining their identities.
Vermont lags the nation in government's ability to service its citizens electronically, moving up to 41st, but still way down. He wanted 90% broadband by the end of 2007. In the past two years,
they have moved up 20%, but "getting to that last remote home up the mountain" will mark success, at 100%.
The state has made last-mile grants, but wants public/private partnerships to complete the job. By a vote of 132 to 2 the state legislature passed Douglas' bill to create the Vermont Telecommunications Authority. This can raise $40 million bonds to fund and help create wireless towers to finish the job of universal access.
All of New England is aging; Maine and Vermont are one and two oldest average aged states in the country. Seniors "don't take jobs; they aren't in the workforce." That means shrinking workforce. So, the right infrastructure is necessary to compensate.
Douglas is also head of the New England Governors' Council. He admits that columnist Neal Pierce is right that all the states here could benefit from more regional thinking. He points to energy as a great way for the New England States to develop such cooperation.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
High Hope for Regional Focus
It sounds like the right goals, but I remain skeptical about it happening anytime soon. At the the New(s) England Revolution conference in Lowell, four machers called for MSM and bloggers to goad politicians and other leader into regional thinking.
Columnist Neal Pierce, policy analyst George Hamilton, UMASS-Lowell academician William Mass, and Montana-based regional publisher Jonathan Weber concurred on what needs to occur. Most will follow in future posts. However, the gist is that the six New England states are wasting time, money, effort and brains trying to solve their issues without a regional view.
One surprising solution would be, according to Pierce, getting newspapers and other MSM to call for regionalism, and to take governors and legislators to task when they fail to act with that in mind.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
Columnist Neal Pierce, policy analyst George Hamilton, UMASS-Lowell academician William Mass, and Montana-based regional publisher Jonathan Weber concurred on what needs to occur. Most will follow in future posts. However, the gist is that the six New England states are wasting time, money, effort and brains trying to solve their issues without a regional view.
One surprising solution would be, according to Pierce, getting newspapers and other MSM to call for regionalism, and to take governors and legislators to task when they fail to act with that in mind.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
Two New Media Pros in Lowell Conference
Working models for new media appeared in the first session at the New(s) England Revolution conference in Lowell. A biggy video blogger and a new-media-orients newspaper honcho left the traditional MSM in their coma.
Steve Garfield of many sites and talents was tehre as video blogger of RocketBoom. His proof was in hand, a pre-U.S. release Nokia phone with high-quality video camera built in. Of course, Steve shot himself, the other speaker, and those who asked questions.
His co-leader, Howard Owens is Gatehouse Media's director of digital publishing. Together, they represent well choreographed ends of new media, particularly video. They are different, but the same.
Howard is in the midst of leading a news-organization expansion into new media. His 78 dailies, over 250 weeklies and over 200 shoppers will all share in the effort and effect.
This includes going directly into the communities to solicit citizen input, particularly video. He was in New England among other reasons to distribute 117 video cameras to about half Gatehouse's reporters as another part of the drive.
He says the successful news organizations will be those that stop viewing what they do as publishing and think instead of being a platform. "I'm hoping to provide teh tools and the knowledge to provide the organic opportunity."
Next session...more on this one later.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
Steve Garfield of many sites and talents was tehre as video blogger of RocketBoom. His proof was in hand, a pre-U.S. release Nokia phone with high-quality video camera built in. Of course, Steve shot himself, the other speaker, and those who asked questions.
His co-leader, Howard Owens is Gatehouse Media's director of digital publishing. Together, they represent well choreographed ends of new media, particularly video. They are different, but the same.
Howard is in the midst of leading a news-organization expansion into new media. His 78 dailies, over 250 weeklies and over 200 shoppers will all share in the effort and effect.
This includes going directly into the communities to solicit citizen input, particularly video. He was in New England among other reasons to distribute 117 video cameras to about half Gatehouse's reporters as another part of the drive.
He says the successful news organizations will be those that stop viewing what they do as publishing and think instead of being a platform. "I'm hoping to provide teh tools and the knowledge to provide the organic opportunity."
Next session...more on this one later.
Note: Cross-posted at Left Ahead!
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
Friday, April 06, 2007
Get Down, Low Down, in Lowell
Ladies and Germs, Saturday, April 7th, promises to be cloudy, maybe drizzling, cold and otherwise New England vernal. Instead of hiding with the TV remote or being sorry you're out, head to UMASS Lowell for the old media-new media conference The New(s) England Revolution.You can see who's coming and what their choices are here. It's a whole day -- replete with a ta da! box lunch in a genuine box -- for small beer, $10 to $28.
Some of your favorite rabble rousers and loud mouths, such as Lynne, Susan and Lisa from the blog world join salaried news types and academicians. There are competing sessions on technologies and directions of media, citizen journalism, and education.
Beyond the self-absorption, political distractions include an address by Vermont Governor James Douglas and an hour pitting at least five of those who want U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan's seat against each other. And so it begins...
This has to be a more memorable Saturday than you had planned.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, conference, Lowell, newspapers, citizen journalism, NENF, blogs
Laugh a Gubernatorial Laugh
Our joke governor left with POTUS envy. New Hampshire's is still acting out in Concord. There's no need to add anything to the Union Leader editorial that follows up on the spousal, a.k.a. civil, unions legislation.
The editorial board must have had a great time writing:
Tags: massmarrier, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Union Leader, civil unions
The editorial board must have had a great time writing:
John the Indecisive: Take a stand, governor
IF GOV. JOHN LYNCH had ruled during the Middle Ages, people throughout the land would have given him a nickname: John the Indecisive.
The governor so hates to offend anyone that it's surprising when he actually takes a stand on something. Asked whether he agreed or disagreed with a particular position, the governor would probably answer, "yes."
On Wednesday the House passed a bill to create civil unions for gay couples. The issue has been hot in New Hampshire since the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court allowed same-sex marriage three years ago. The bill has been making its way through the legislative process for months. Gov. Lynch's response to its passage on Wednesday?
"I will weigh in on it once I make up my mind on it."
That is vintage John Lynch. Unless it's a non-controversial issue that has overwhelming public approval -- a minimum wage hike, a restaurant smoking ban, etc. -- don't expect a strong public position from this governor. New Hampshire would get better leadership from a weather vane. At least it's always pointing somewhere.
Tags: massmarrier, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Union Leader, civil unions
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Romney Asks for Marriage Totalitarianism
On the campaign sidewalks, it's not the springtime storms that are slippery, it's Willard Mitt Romney's oozing smarminess. Our own Cap'n Brylcreem is exuding again, this time in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Even though he has been, if you pardon the expression, snugly in bed with same-sex marriage here in Massachusetts, he has long been trying to distance himself from that. Now, he would take his incredibly clumsy disgrace over his mishandling of the hoary laws forbidding marriage to out of staters whose home jurisdictions would not have joined the couples.
According to the Union Leader, the Cap'n is calling for the un-passable federal amendment banning same-sex marriage. It's all for show and a play for the approval of the most simple-minded voters. Yet, he's never been about candor or compassion or fairness.
The catalyst was Gov. Deval Patrick's joining with the heads of both houses of the legislature to call for the repeal of the anti-comity laws. They were passed nearly a century ago to prevent out-of-state interracial couples from marrying and pulled out from that cesspool to do the same to homosexual couples. No law with such an infamous background and nefarious aims deserves to continue.
Yet, the Cap'n understands he is known as the gay-marriage governor. That's with good reason, he tacitly supported SSM or civil unions, and he refused to lead in or even participate in framing the debate or resolving the post-Goodridge issues.
Instead of being honorable, he turned to fear mongering again. He told the horrifying tale of hoards of homosexuals hieing to Hingham to wed. From there, like so many vampires, they would fly to distant states and suck the blood out of marriage. They would sue for recognition of their legal Massachusetts status.
Even the Cap'n seems to realize there is no wall tall enough to keep SSM couple in Massachusetts or would be ones out. He blithely pretends to ignore the reality of the many thousands of existing married SS couples. Land of Goshen, what would a fearful nation do if some of them escaped West of the Hudson?
Way up town, he said, "As the governor of Massachusetts having seen the advent of same-sex marriage in my state, and recognizing that with the new governor, people are going to be coming to Massachusetts, getting married in Massachusetts and then going home to their home states, it strikes me that you have to have a national standard."
This actually underlies one of the Cap'n's greatest political problems. Observers are quite right to note that many Americans are confused by and wary of his Mormonism. Far more fundamental to his disconnect from the larger voter base is his seeming lack of understanding of and appreciation for federalism and states rights.
Even after then President Bill Clinton's infamy of DOMA, the U.S. Congress did not and would not pass a federal marriage amendment. Far too many lawmakers and their constituents deplore such central control over local matters. The Cap'n likely wants to appear the most conservative of Republican candidates, but he's probably really blowing it on this one.
Bless his little greasy head.
Tags: massmarrier, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, same-sex marriage, Willard Mitt Romney
Even though he has been, if you pardon the expression, snugly in bed with same-sex marriage here in Massachusetts, he has long been trying to distance himself from that. Now, he would take his incredibly clumsy disgrace over his mishandling of the hoary laws forbidding marriage to out of staters whose home jurisdictions would not have joined the couples.
According to the Union Leader, the Cap'n is calling for the un-passable federal amendment banning same-sex marriage. It's all for show and a play for the approval of the most simple-minded voters. Yet, he's never been about candor or compassion or fairness.
The catalyst was Gov. Deval Patrick's joining with the heads of both houses of the legislature to call for the repeal of the anti-comity laws. They were passed nearly a century ago to prevent out-of-state interracial couples from marrying and pulled out from that cesspool to do the same to homosexual couples. No law with such an infamous background and nefarious aims deserves to continue.
Yet, the Cap'n understands he is known as the gay-marriage governor. That's with good reason, he tacitly supported SSM or civil unions, and he refused to lead in or even participate in framing the debate or resolving the post-Goodridge issues.
Instead of being honorable, he turned to fear mongering again. He told the horrifying tale of hoards of homosexuals hieing to Hingham to wed. From there, like so many vampires, they would fly to distant states and suck the blood out of marriage. They would sue for recognition of their legal Massachusetts status.
Even the Cap'n seems to realize there is no wall tall enough to keep SSM couple in Massachusetts or would be ones out. He blithely pretends to ignore the reality of the many thousands of existing married SS couples. Land of Goshen, what would a fearful nation do if some of them escaped West of the Hudson?
Way up town, he said, "As the governor of Massachusetts having seen the advent of same-sex marriage in my state, and recognizing that with the new governor, people are going to be coming to Massachusetts, getting married in Massachusetts and then going home to their home states, it strikes me that you have to have a national standard."
This actually underlies one of the Cap'n's greatest political problems. Observers are quite right to note that many Americans are confused by and wary of his Mormonism. Far more fundamental to his disconnect from the larger voter base is his seeming lack of understanding of and appreciation for federalism and states rights.
Even after then President Bill Clinton's infamy of DOMA, the U.S. Congress did not and would not pass a federal marriage amendment. Far too many lawmakers and their constituents deplore such central control over local matters. The Cap'n likely wants to appear the most conservative of Republican candidates, but he's probably really blowing it on this one.
Bless his little greasy head.
Tags: massmarrier, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, same-sex marriage, Willard Mitt Romney
Closer to Living Free in N.H.
The two big points in Concord, New Hampshire, yesterday were:
The now predictable and still irrational this-defines-marriage-out-of-existence position came fromRep. Nancy Elliott this time. That is a sad little wheeze, but if you have one tune, that's all you hum. As she put it, "Marriage will lose its meaning, and the need for marriage will decrease as it becomes irrelevant."
By the bye, in two weeks, I've been married 31 years and same-sex marriage has not harmed mine, even though we live in Massachusetts.
The class-clown award on this should Rep. Maureen Mooney. She claimed that civil unions would discriminate against heterosexuals, including relatives and roomies who could not get the benefits. Nice try Mo, but no. I say pass marriage equality in New Hampshire, and then turn to domestic partnerships -- long overdue.
The two wild cards remaining seem to be different power plays by the Gov. John Lynch and Senator Bob Clegg. The latter has his ego tied up in a cohabitation-right bill. That looks like a loser after respectful consideration by his patient peers.
Lynch, on the other hand, seems to like being the pivot. He opposes SSM, but hasn't, if you pardon, come out on civil unions. If the House bill replicates in the Senate vote, it would take affect on January 1, 2008, if Lynch signs it.
Tags: massmarrier, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, same-sex marriage, civil unions
- The House solidly passed civil unions
- The Governor and some Senate leadership may goof on what finally emerges as law
The now predictable and still irrational this-defines-marriage-out-of-existence position came fromRep. Nancy Elliott this time. That is a sad little wheeze, but if you have one tune, that's all you hum. As she put it, "Marriage will lose its meaning, and the need for marriage will decrease as it becomes irrelevant."
By the bye, in two weeks, I've been married 31 years and same-sex marriage has not harmed mine, even though we live in Massachusetts.
The class-clown award on this should Rep. Maureen Mooney. She claimed that civil unions would discriminate against heterosexuals, including relatives and roomies who could not get the benefits. Nice try Mo, but no. I say pass marriage equality in New Hampshire, and then turn to domestic partnerships -- long overdue.
The two wild cards remaining seem to be different power plays by the Gov. John Lynch and Senator Bob Clegg. The latter has his ego tied up in a cohabitation-right bill. That looks like a loser after respectful consideration by his patient peers.
Lynch, on the other hand, seems to like being the pivot. He opposes SSM, but hasn't, if you pardon, come out on civil unions. If the House bill replicates in the Senate vote, it would take affect on January 1, 2008, if Lynch signs it.
He apparently wants all eyes on him. Until the Senate acts, he'll only say, "I will weigh in on it once I make up my mind on it. "
Indecisive? Ignorant? Egotistic?Tags: massmarrier, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, same-sex marriage, civil unions
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Comity Comedy Run Ending
Well, it only took 94 years, but the Boston Globe finally got it right on kissing bigots' butts with our marriage laws. Who says people can't change?
At this blog, search for comity or 1913 and you'll find a swarm of posts decrying the irrationality, futility and spite inherent in Chapter 207, Sections 11, 12, 13 and 50 of our General Laws. Those are the totally one-sided genuflections to other states' laws that limit marriages for one type of discrimination or another.
Not only do they not do the same for us, they do not obey the basic principle of comity. They do not recognize our legal marriages.
Curl up and die, Virginia and you other villains!
The concept behind our lickspittle laws before WWI was that we allowed interracial marriages and many states did not. In some sort of anti-migration fantasy, we would forbid couple coming here to marry and then returning to their home states to sue for recognition of their new status.
Absent a totalitarian state, we cannot and would not as a nation try to stop migration of our citizens. Nor would we prevent them from seeking redress in courts or legislative bodies. That would be, how would you Americans call it, unAmerican.
So those laws were never invoked or enforced until the incredible tag team of then Gov. Willard Mitt Romney, then AG Tom Reilly, and risibly passive judges of the Supreme Judicial Court agreed that it was okay. Sure, keep those homosexuals from marrying here and going to other states to ask for equal rights in court.
The facts are that these laws are not only odious and unAmerican on their face, they make us suckers. We bend to the bigots out of state and they do nothing to accommodate us. They spit and stomp on our marriages and accept that as their due.
Well, Sen. Jarrett Barrios has put this simple call to repeal these laws before his chamber repeatedly. It's Senate Bill No. 800 this year. Let's get real. Let's get honorable. Do this quickly.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, same sex marriage, comity, Barrios
At this blog, search for comity or 1913 and you'll find a swarm of posts decrying the irrationality, futility and spite inherent in Chapter 207, Sections 11, 12, 13 and 50 of our General Laws. Those are the totally one-sided genuflections to other states' laws that limit marriages for one type of discrimination or another.
Not only do they not do the same for us, they do not obey the basic principle of comity. They do not recognize our legal marriages.
Curl up and die, Virginia and you other villains!
The concept behind our lickspittle laws before WWI was that we allowed interracial marriages and many states did not. In some sort of anti-migration fantasy, we would forbid couple coming here to marry and then returning to their home states to sue for recognition of their new status.
Absent a totalitarian state, we cannot and would not as a nation try to stop migration of our citizens. Nor would we prevent them from seeking redress in courts or legislative bodies. That would be, how would you Americans call it, unAmerican.
So those laws were never invoked or enforced until the incredible tag team of then Gov. Willard Mitt Romney, then AG Tom Reilly, and risibly passive judges of the Supreme Judicial Court agreed that it was okay. Sure, keep those homosexuals from marrying here and going to other states to ask for equal rights in court.
The facts are that these laws are not only odious and unAmerican on their face, they make us suckers. We bend to the bigots out of state and they do nothing to accommodate us. They spit and stomp on our marriages and accept that as their due.
Well, Sen. Jarrett Barrios has put this simple call to repeal these laws before his chamber repeatedly. It's Senate Bill No. 800 this year. Let's get real. Let's get honorable. Do this quickly.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, same sex marriage, comity, Barrios
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Papers Have the Vapors
Well, wave a dead chicken and call in the auspex. The signs of news media's future are everywhere!
It started slowly, with a bunch of us bloggers heading to Lowell this weekend for the New(s) England Revolution conference. That entails omphaloskepsis by a motley crew of print and broadcast folk with a big chunk of academics and a few new-media sorts such as we.
The much more formal and puffier American Society of Newspaper Editors just finished their conference. Their annual survey of themselves concluded that editors and publishers are feeling pretty good about their business and think they can integrate and profit from this new-media thingummy.
Now the patterns in the birds in flight reveal that the big media deal of this century shows at last one billionaire eager to hop on and ride a newspaper into transformation and new wealth. Gravedancer Sam Zell just won the Tribune group for $8.2 billion. As the media conglomerate itself describes the deal:
Suddenly though, it is becoming very apparent that many media companies are getting beyond their self-pity and are ready to play the game with its new rules. The second front of today's Financial Times (subscriber access only, in paper or electron form [how 20th Century]) highlight several aspects of the Trib deal.
First the fantasy that the industry can provide returns like software is gone. Specifically, the emotion-laden sale three years ago of the Pulitzer group was at 30 times earnings. Zell paid about eight times. The FT noted too that this deal illustrated, "The emergence of Mr Zell and two California billionaires - Eli Broad and Ron Burkle - as final contestants for Tribune also reflected the different sort of buyer newspaper companies are courting: wealthy, civic-minded investors who may be willing to accept lower returns and greater uncertainty than Wall Street."
That's the good/bad news game -- two rich bidders for the property, but lower multiple purchase.
That written, I bet that Zell is not about to view the Trib purchase as an altruistic, vanity operation.
Here in the Northeast, both bean and apple country show what happens when the old mentality timorously tries to milk a little more profit from the old newspaper model of publishing. The New York Times has failed spectacularly in its gutless efforts with the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram.
They put one foot in the water and expected to move. Meanwhile, print advertising has plummeted and subscriptions dwindled. The parent wrote down half the value of its Massachusetts properties.
Look to Zell to mandate a transformation to the Net and its profit potential. He'll make sure it happens and not in the stodgy and incremental ways most MSM has been half-heartedly trying. At his relative bargain price, he'll have some flexibility too. As the FT quotes Boston University's journalism department chair, Lou Ureneck, "If you want to buy a newspaper, now is the time. Prices are low."
Fortune favors the bold -- Virgil.
Tags: massmarrier, Boston Globe, New York Times, Tribune group, newspapers, Sam Zell, NENF
It started slowly, with a bunch of us bloggers heading to Lowell this weekend for the New(s) England Revolution conference. That entails omphaloskepsis by a motley crew of print and broadcast folk with a big chunk of academics and a few new-media sorts such as we.
The much more formal and puffier American Society of Newspaper Editors just finished their conference. Their annual survey of themselves concluded that editors and publishers are feeling pretty good about their business and think they can integrate and profit from this new-media thingummy.
Now the patterns in the birds in flight reveal that the big media deal of this century shows at last one billionaire eager to hop on and ride a newspaper into transformation and new wealth. Gravedancer Sam Zell just won the Tribune group for $8.2 billion. As the media conglomerate itself describes the deal:
The matchup of Tribune and Zell couldn't be more improbable. The deal will place a motorcycle riding, epithet slinging multibillionaire atop of one of the most conservative, buttoned-down companies in America.More telling may be that for decades newspaper publishers have been whining like Red Sox fans. All their problems are someone else's fault and life is terrible.
Suddenly though, it is becoming very apparent that many media companies are getting beyond their self-pity and are ready to play the game with its new rules. The second front of today's Financial Times (subscriber access only, in paper or electron form [how 20th Century]) highlight several aspects of the Trib deal.
First the fantasy that the industry can provide returns like software is gone. Specifically, the emotion-laden sale three years ago of the Pulitzer group was at 30 times earnings. Zell paid about eight times. The FT noted too that this deal illustrated, "The emergence of Mr Zell and two California billionaires - Eli Broad and Ron Burkle - as final contestants for Tribune also reflected the different sort of buyer newspaper companies are courting: wealthy, civic-minded investors who may be willing to accept lower returns and greater uncertainty than Wall Street."
That's the good/bad news game -- two rich bidders for the property, but lower multiple purchase.
That written, I bet that Zell is not about to view the Trib purchase as an altruistic, vanity operation.
Here in the Northeast, both bean and apple country show what happens when the old mentality timorously tries to milk a little more profit from the old newspaper model of publishing. The New York Times has failed spectacularly in its gutless efforts with the Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram.
They put one foot in the water and expected to move. Meanwhile, print advertising has plummeted and subscriptions dwindled. The parent wrote down half the value of its Massachusetts properties.
Look to Zell to mandate a transformation to the Net and its profit potential. He'll make sure it happens and not in the stodgy and incremental ways most MSM has been half-heartedly trying. At his relative bargain price, he'll have some flexibility too. As the FT quotes Boston University's journalism department chair, Lou Ureneck, "If you want to buy a newspaper, now is the time. Prices are low."
Fortune favors the bold -- Virgil.
Tags: massmarrier, Boston Globe, New York Times, Tribune group, newspapers, Sam Zell, NENF
Big Dig Flame Out
In the pre-dawn blackness, the obvious peril of the flaming car on the one-lane entry ramp from Storrow Drive onto Route 93 North destroyed the normal pleasure of the belly lit Zakim Bridge in blue. It was another dramatic illustration of the fundamental impossibility of adequately expanding our existing highways.
Unless we want to pave over our urban suburban landscape, the current model of more of the same does not serve us. President Eisenhower's administration went a long way toward meeting transportation needs of 1950s Americans with the Interstate Highway System. We need similar leadership to get beyond and over that concept.
Normally, before 5 a.m. climbing from Storrow by the YOUR NAME HERE GARDEN, the bridge in blue was startling and understated gorgeous. Then shooting down and then up to 93 like a Hot Wheels toy was always a little disconcerting. It was hard not to wonder what if...there was a wreck...another molasses flood (never get that high)...or a gasoline powered car in flames. Wowzers.
We've had more wrecks there, two recently dropping from above that paralyzed traffic. Just yesterday, a semi wrecked cars above and then tumbled down on one of these connector ramps, crushing an SUV and stopping flow for hours.
The newly redesigned and built-from-scratch Big Dig component was terrifyingly shortsighted. Down from or up to the interstate highway, a single lane perhaps a mile long could fill with traffic and easily trap the drivers and passengers. This is modern design?
We saw it in another way in December 2003. One of the first days that the Southeast Expressway opened, it had was the Globe headlined "TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE ON I-93." It wasn't an earthquake or even all the large animals from the Franklin Park Zoo filling the road. Instead a single gravel truck spilled its load at 1 p.m. and the highway closed. Well into the night, traffic that could escaped to tiny side roads or idled along below measurable speeds.
The Transportation Department claims to have "improved mobility in notoriously congested downtown Boston." That is only modestly accurate and at many times of the day, 93 is totally inadequate and traffic is motionless.
Remember the many billions that gave us only this incremental improvement. The problem was not in how they implemented it, rather that they aimed to tweak an unworkable model.
Back then when I lived in JP and worked in Burlington, I had lots of good reasons to leave home at 4:30 a.m. Our software company co-developed with offices in Israel and Russia, seven and eight hours ahead of us. The head of the GUI team came from New Hampshire and I ran docs. We could arrive, conduct overseas business, do our work without face or phone interruptions, and do our project management and our work together efficiently. We could also take an hour off to head to the FitCorp in the building for a workout and shower, and still be in the office before the rest of the company. Mostly though, I could get there in 26 minutes at 4:30 and might take 60 to 90 minutes at rush hour.
Only that one time, I passed a flaming vehicle, potential bomb on a no-escape road. That alone though was enough to reinforce the foolishness of our highway denial.
Today, I recalled that when the AAA maggy arrived with its "Bill of Rights for the Nation's Motorists on Transportation Funding." With Republicans no longer in control of all three branches of the federal government, the automobile and drivers lobbies much be hustling.
We can look at our multi-billion-dollar Big Dig. Around the nation, it has the reputation as wasteful and fraud ridden. Here, we see that after a decade, it hasn't helped traffic flow through town appreciably faster. It is an underground version of the same broken model.
Even though we know they are patches that will break, we do bigger roads because we understand them. We spend on more of the same. Perhaps a lane or two wider, but it is still too often too many cars in too little space. Short a pandemic, this invariably worsens, and quickly.
Most drivers feel they have no alternative. Our intrastate, interstate and intercity mass transit are pathetic. All of western Europe can shame us with examples of the right way to do it. Frequent, high-speed, inexpensive trains whisk folk to work and vacation, between cities and rural areas. Our pathetic efforts like the lame and badly overpriced Acela train running on WWII tracks inadequate for any meaningful speed are sad indeed.
To get a workable solution, we'd have to spend much more on rail systems and much less on highways. We must, and sooner will be better than later or never.
If we do the former with rail, we end up in a civilized, clean, healthy and cost-effective country. The latter is more of the same -- wasted transit time and human hours, pollution, deaths and maiming from wrecks, noise, and draining the public coffers and our taxes to pay for highways, like the Big Dig, that are inadequate for their purpose before they are open.
The amusing and shocking angle to that AAA policy article is that there is zero thought to alternatives. There is no mass transit to ease the traffic, just more of how can we make sure we keep building more and wider roads, and being sure that every dollar a motorist pays goes for the same. This is kind of like tackling drug crimes by trying to make sure the junkies only steal from other poor people.
Reckoning is upon us. The highway future looks much the same as the present and recent past. It will reek of petroleum fumes and cost trillions of dollars worth of hours, limbs, lives, and twisted vehicles. It is the ongoing war on our shores that we silently subsidize.
Sadly enough, even the auto lobby's threat that spending on mass transit will destroy the car biz here, costing millions of jobs, no longer as meaning. The big car makers have failed so miserably that they have ruined their industry solo. We'd be far better off as a nation building only fuel efficient small cars and retraining our auto workers into their new lives in mass transit.
We have seen and driven the Big Dig -- it was wholly inadequate. That does not so much damn that project as the whole concept of trying to "improve" highways. Spend hour upon hour in any major metropolitan area -- D.C., L.A., New York and Chicago are all apt -- and see that the same is true. The old highway model is so 20th Century.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, Boston, highways, mass transit, Big Dig
Unless we want to pave over our urban suburban landscape, the current model of more of the same does not serve us. President Eisenhower's administration went a long way toward meeting transportation needs of 1950s Americans with the Interstate Highway System. We need similar leadership to get beyond and over that concept.
Normally, before 5 a.m. climbing from Storrow by the YOUR NAME HERE GARDEN, the bridge in blue was startling and understated gorgeous. Then shooting down and then up to 93 like a Hot Wheels toy was always a little disconcerting. It was hard not to wonder what if...there was a wreck...another molasses flood (never get that high)...or a gasoline powered car in flames. Wowzers.
We've had more wrecks there, two recently dropping from above that paralyzed traffic. Just yesterday, a semi wrecked cars above and then tumbled down on one of these connector ramps, crushing an SUV and stopping flow for hours.
The newly redesigned and built-from-scratch Big Dig component was terrifyingly shortsighted. Down from or up to the interstate highway, a single lane perhaps a mile long could fill with traffic and easily trap the drivers and passengers. This is modern design?
We saw it in another way in December 2003. One of the first days that the Southeast Expressway opened, it had was the Globe headlined "TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE ON I-93." It wasn't an earthquake or even all the large animals from the Franklin Park Zoo filling the road. Instead a single gravel truck spilled its load at 1 p.m. and the highway closed. Well into the night, traffic that could escaped to tiny side roads or idled along below measurable speeds.
The Transportation Department claims to have "improved mobility in notoriously congested downtown Boston." That is only modestly accurate and at many times of the day, 93 is totally inadequate and traffic is motionless.
Remember the many billions that gave us only this incremental improvement. The problem was not in how they implemented it, rather that they aimed to tweak an unworkable model.
Back then when I lived in JP and worked in Burlington, I had lots of good reasons to leave home at 4:30 a.m. Our software company co-developed with offices in Israel and Russia, seven and eight hours ahead of us. The head of the GUI team came from New Hampshire and I ran docs. We could arrive, conduct overseas business, do our work without face or phone interruptions, and do our project management and our work together efficiently. We could also take an hour off to head to the FitCorp in the building for a workout and shower, and still be in the office before the rest of the company. Mostly though, I could get there in 26 minutes at 4:30 and might take 60 to 90 minutes at rush hour.
Only that one time, I passed a flaming vehicle, potential bomb on a no-escape road. That alone though was enough to reinforce the foolishness of our highway denial.
Today, I recalled that when the AAA maggy arrived with its "Bill of Rights for the Nation's Motorists on Transportation Funding." With Republicans no longer in control of all three branches of the federal government, the automobile and drivers lobbies much be hustling.
We can look at our multi-billion-dollar Big Dig. Around the nation, it has the reputation as wasteful and fraud ridden. Here, we see that after a decade, it hasn't helped traffic flow through town appreciably faster. It is an underground version of the same broken model.
Even though we know they are patches that will break, we do bigger roads because we understand them. We spend on more of the same. Perhaps a lane or two wider, but it is still too often too many cars in too little space. Short a pandemic, this invariably worsens, and quickly.
Most drivers feel they have no alternative. Our intrastate, interstate and intercity mass transit are pathetic. All of western Europe can shame us with examples of the right way to do it. Frequent, high-speed, inexpensive trains whisk folk to work and vacation, between cities and rural areas. Our pathetic efforts like the lame and badly overpriced Acela train running on WWII tracks inadequate for any meaningful speed are sad indeed.
To get a workable solution, we'd have to spend much more on rail systems and much less on highways. We must, and sooner will be better than later or never.
If we do the former with rail, we end up in a civilized, clean, healthy and cost-effective country. The latter is more of the same -- wasted transit time and human hours, pollution, deaths and maiming from wrecks, noise, and draining the public coffers and our taxes to pay for highways, like the Big Dig, that are inadequate for their purpose before they are open.
The amusing and shocking angle to that AAA policy article is that there is zero thought to alternatives. There is no mass transit to ease the traffic, just more of how can we make sure we keep building more and wider roads, and being sure that every dollar a motorist pays goes for the same. This is kind of like tackling drug crimes by trying to make sure the junkies only steal from other poor people.
Reckoning is upon us. The highway future looks much the same as the present and recent past. It will reek of petroleum fumes and cost trillions of dollars worth of hours, limbs, lives, and twisted vehicles. It is the ongoing war on our shores that we silently subsidize.
Sadly enough, even the auto lobby's threat that spending on mass transit will destroy the car biz here, costing millions of jobs, no longer as meaning. The big car makers have failed so miserably that they have ruined their industry solo. We'd be far better off as a nation building only fuel efficient small cars and retraining our auto workers into their new lives in mass transit.
We have seen and driven the Big Dig -- it was wholly inadequate. That does not so much damn that project as the whole concept of trying to "improve" highways. Spend hour upon hour in any major metropolitan area -- D.C., L.A., New York and Chicago are all apt -- and see that the same is true. The old highway model is so 20th Century.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, Boston, highways, mass transit, Big Dig
Monday, April 02, 2007
Superior Politics That You Can See
What can we learn from the Dutch about doing the best by our entire country? One hell of a lot -- including how our social and economic policies reflect in our child well-being and even our height.
Since September when the international figures confirmed it, much has been made in the tabs and on TV about the Netherlands having on average, the world's tallest citizens. That is particularly remarkable in that as late as WWII and the Nazi occupation, the Dutch were the shortest Europeans.
Today, adults there average three or more inches taller than Americans. Accompanying this rapid increase has been dramatically reduced child mortality, a near disappearance of poverty, and one of the world's longest lived citizenry. Politics is huge here and should come as a klaxon to rouse American lawmakers and executive branch members.
To put it bluntly, our political and economic policies are stunting and even killing our children, as well as shortening our average lives. A more egalitarian and socially fairer society raises the general welfare as well as advancing the entire nation.
America's health figures are abysmal. Go to any UN or other compilation and find that our longevity is way down the list of nations and our infant mortality and child poverty totals are way up. Yet, per capital -- that is averaged -- we live in an extremely wealthy country. What can we learn from this?
There is a lot of analysis, including simple examples from the International Herald Tribune. Most conclude nearly identically that factors include:
Unlike the I've-got-mine-now-bug-off brand of Americans, Dr. Panic likes children as much as he disrespects globalization-mongering neo-liberals. He grieves noting how both the U.K. and U.S. would play Chronos, destroying their babies for the betterment of their wealthiest. They can see what the Dutch and Scandinavians have done that avoids such disgrace.
In his extensive comparisons of social well-being and economic performance, he found "Swedes and Norwegians enjoy the highest level of social well-being, followed closely by people in the Netherlands. The US is well behind on almost every indicator. Germany and France are in the middle, with the UK between them and the US."
He correlates the sickly folk with their countries' economics and politics. Those, like the U.S. and U.K., who favor the free-market economy fail their citizens overall for the benefit of a few. In contrast, the healthiest nations are necessarily those with the highest GDPs per capital. However, "(u)nlike the US and, since 1979, the UK, those countries attach great importance to social cohesion and, therefore, to equality of opportunity."
In short, sharing the wealth helps the entire nation. The American Dream can be for everyone, not just the most rugged or the best born individualists. Social Darwinism fails more than it buoys.
Panic notes that the healthiest nations:
Convincing Americans that such a model is more desirable and workable than our pioneer and free-capitalist competition one is admittedly difficult. On the other hand, we are not a nation of mental deficients. Making it clear what advances us as a nation is a great start. We also have the advantages of seeing where other nations have failed in their health-care and economic policies, and where other have succeeded.
It only took the Dutch two generations to make up for privation and poor planning.
Tags: massmarrier, United States, Netherlands, social well-being, poverty, health, longevity, Mica Panic
Since September when the international figures confirmed it, much has been made in the tabs and on TV about the Netherlands having on average, the world's tallest citizens. That is particularly remarkable in that as late as WWII and the Nazi occupation, the Dutch were the shortest Europeans.
Today, adults there average three or more inches taller than Americans. Accompanying this rapid increase has been dramatically reduced child mortality, a near disappearance of poverty, and one of the world's longest lived citizenry. Politics is huge here and should come as a klaxon to rouse American lawmakers and executive branch members.
To put it bluntly, our political and economic policies are stunting and even killing our children, as well as shortening our average lives. A more egalitarian and socially fairer society raises the general welfare as well as advancing the entire nation.
America's health figures are abysmal. Go to any UN or other compilation and find that our longevity is way down the list of nations and our infant mortality and child poverty totals are way up. Yet, per capital -- that is averaged -- we live in an extremely wealthy country. What can we learn from this?
There is a lot of analysis, including simple examples from the International Herald Tribune. Most conclude nearly identically that factors include:
- A smattering, but a negligible amount of genes. The fact is that we used to pretend that Asians, Latinos and other "short" people bought our average down. In fact, given good nutrition and access to health care have led to rapid height increases among those groups. The rule is that poor people are small. The combination of wealth and genes should make us the tallest in the world.
- Affordable health care. From pre-natal, even pre-pregnancy on, the biggest factor in health and height is access to preventative and remedial medical care. As a nation, we seem terrified of nationalizing health care, and certainly there are both good and bad examples of how to do that. Our obscenely inefficient and expensive private system should drive us toward nationalization though. There is a direct correlation between high-quality, tax-paid health care and health, longevity and even height.
- Economic equality. In this nation of individuals, we hold the idea that if we are smart, lucky and connected enough any one of us can be a king instead of a serf. That's fine for the few wealthiest, who not coincidentally are taller, healthier and longer-lived than average. As with the other healthiest nations, the Netherlands have relative high taxes and a much smaller disparity from the wealthy to the middle-class. Again, poverty is nearly unknown.
Unlike the I've-got-mine-now-bug-off brand of Americans, Dr. Panic likes children as much as he disrespects globalization-mongering neo-liberals. He grieves noting how both the U.K. and U.S. would play Chronos, destroying their babies for the betterment of their wealthiest. They can see what the Dutch and Scandinavians have done that avoids such disgrace.
In his extensive comparisons of social well-being and economic performance, he found "Swedes and Norwegians enjoy the highest level of social well-being, followed closely by people in the Netherlands. The US is well behind on almost every indicator. Germany and France are in the middle, with the UK between them and the US."
He correlates the sickly folk with their countries' economics and politics. Those, like the U.S. and U.K., who favor the free-market economy fail their citizens overall for the benefit of a few. In contrast, the healthiest nations are necessarily those with the highest GDPs per capital. However, "(u)nlike the US and, since 1979, the UK, those countries attach great importance to social cohesion and, therefore, to equality of opportunity."
In short, sharing the wealth helps the entire nation. The American Dream can be for everyone, not just the most rugged or the best born individualists. Social Darwinism fails more than it buoys.
Panic notes that the healthiest nations:
- Have cooperation in solving national problems, among government, employers and employees.
- Extract higher taxes than we do, but help all citizens in education, training and health.
- Retrain their unemployed.
- Have narrow inequality of income, "and so also poverty, economic insecurity, lack of trust in other people and levels of stress and crime."
Convincing Americans that such a model is more desirable and workable than our pioneer and free-capitalist competition one is admittedly difficult. On the other hand, we are not a nation of mental deficients. Making it clear what advances us as a nation is a great start. We also have the advantages of seeing where other nations have failed in their health-care and economic policies, and where other have succeeded.
It only took the Dutch two generations to make up for privation and poor planning.
Tags: massmarrier, United States, Netherlands, social well-being, poverty, health, longevity, Mica Panic
Out-of-State Couples Welcome Here, Patrick
Comity, common sense and compassion made a rare triple appearance in Massachusetts Friday. Gov. Deval Patrick ordered that the 26 same-sex weddings of out-of-staters that then Gov. Willard Romney rejected be registered here.
The details appear in a piece in today's Boston Globe. The short of it is that even before these laws are overturned, Patrick told the Department of Public Health of the 26 marriages Romney denied, record 'em.
Almost certainly the nastiest and least defensible act of Romney's not-brief-enough tenure here was to find and use 1913 laws forbidding marriages here that would not be legal in home states. Then, the laws were to prevent interracial marriages here, thus allowing the couples to return and sue for recognition.
Massachusetts wasn't hateful enough back then to invoke these disgraceful laws. It was only when Romney had POTUS envy that he ordered them used against homosexual couples.
Even now, fairly panting in anticipation of the Presidency, Romney admits through his spokesman what he was about. "Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for Romney, now a presidential candidate, responded that Romney was correct to refuse to record the marriages because Massachusetts law does not recognize marriage between same-sex couples from outside the state." In an email to the Globe, Fehrnstrom bragged or admitted, depending on your view, "It was Governor Romney's enforcement of this law that stopped gay marriage from being visited on every other state in the country. Now that Governor Romney is out of office, we are seeing an erosion of the previously strong defense of traditional marriage coming out of the executive branch."
Back where people matter more than punitive politics, Patrick's spokesman, Kyle Sullivan, says, "There was no legal basis for separating these certificates in the first place. It appears like the prior administration was politicizing a routine administrative function."
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, same sex marriage, comity, Mitt Romney
The details appear in a piece in today's Boston Globe. The short of it is that even before these laws are overturned, Patrick told the Department of Public Health of the 26 marriages Romney denied, record 'em.
Almost certainly the nastiest and least defensible act of Romney's not-brief-enough tenure here was to find and use 1913 laws forbidding marriages here that would not be legal in home states. Then, the laws were to prevent interracial marriages here, thus allowing the couples to return and sue for recognition.
Massachusetts wasn't hateful enough back then to invoke these disgraceful laws. It was only when Romney had POTUS envy that he ordered them used against homosexual couples.
Even now, fairly panting in anticipation of the Presidency, Romney admits through his spokesman what he was about. "Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for Romney, now a presidential candidate, responded that Romney was correct to refuse to record the marriages because Massachusetts law does not recognize marriage between same-sex couples from outside the state." In an email to the Globe, Fehrnstrom bragged or admitted, depending on your view, "It was Governor Romney's enforcement of this law that stopped gay marriage from being visited on every other state in the country. Now that Governor Romney is out of office, we are seeing an erosion of the previously strong defense of traditional marriage coming out of the executive branch."
Back where people matter more than punitive politics, Patrick's spokesman, Kyle Sullivan, says, "There was no legal basis for separating these certificates in the first place. It appears like the prior administration was politicizing a routine administrative function."
Among the suddenly officially married are two Lebanon, Connecticut, dairy-goat farmers, Mark Pearsall, 40, and Paul Trubey, 43. They married in Worcester in 2004. Pearsall's reaction is, "I think it's a wonderful thing he's decided to come out and say that he's not going to stand by this arbitrary decision that was done in, I think, a mean-spirited and politically motivated arena."
There is that matter of removing these vestiges of bigotry from the General Laws. That can't be far behind.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, same sex marriage, comity, Mitt Romney
Friday, March 30, 2007
Would-Be President Al Goldstein on SSM
Al Goldstein's running for U.S. President is certainly no more absurd than Sam Brownback's doing the same. What's absurd is that an aging ex-porn king is lower down the list than arguably our most bigoted and dumbest U.S. Senator in decades.
Warning: If you click through to Alvin's campaign site, be aware that his platform is mildly obscene and the home page features vintage nudity including him.
If you need to know why I even care or mention it, you should also be aware that I knew him and even did a little work for his rags. Also, he has taken a position on same-sex marriage. That follows.
Apparently, I'm one of the few who has a kind word or more to write about him. At 70 or 71, he still revels in unrepentant sexuality and sexism and his opening campaign blurb frames him:
Why he's running:So, Al is still clever and he's bright, crudely funny and insatiably curious.
Everyone knows politics is a dirty business. Who better to run than a veteran of an even dirtier business?
You don't have to go to his lewd main site to catch his YouTube vids of his positions or at least slurs on Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, racism, George Bush, Iraq, and same-sex marriage.
Perhaps a transcript of the quintuple divorce veteran on SSM will be plenty. He must have seen the coverage in the gay press from the anti-marriage folk to lead him to quip:
Gay marriage should be permitted as much as heterosexual marriage, because the ultimate perversion is not the homosexuality but the marriage. Marriage is impossible because people change and monogamy is an absurd, fallacious philosophy. I'm opposed to marriage, but if a gay person wants to marry, let him suffer too.Perhaps not surprisingly, the serial marrier's campaign lists an adult search engine as its sponsor.
My full disclosure is a bit shadier than those of bloggers who are on the payroll of the Boston Globe. I did a little work for Al in the 1970s when his Milky Way Productions ran tabs named Screw, Smut, Gay and Bitch. I did some photography, reporting and a play review or two (very off-off Broadway) for Screw and Gay. As well as seeing him at his Union Square office, I had dinner with him a few times.
The man appreciated and understood food. He could overeat and was embarrassed when he was chubby. He looks trim enough to fit the norms of the simple-minded trend followers now.
Oddly enough, something I remember vividly was his fascination for electronics and mechanics. Before personal computers, there were numerous adult toys that had nothing to do with sex. They were for proto-geeks such as Al, business types and hobbyists alike. Al even put out a short-lived and very unsexual magazine, Gadget, to review and revel in his early adopter gimmicks and geegaws.
Apparently, he's still offensive and still loving being so. He's never been dull.
Tags: massmarrier, same-sex marriage, Al Goldstein, Sam Brownback, President
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Stopping Right Here
Note: Left Ahead! is not yet listed with LeftyBlogs. So, I cross-post this here in the interim.
A huge and recurring progressive issue in Massachusetts has never been more obvious than it is with our new administration. It is the political problem of where does the buck stop or who's going to bell the cat.
Through years of Pollyanna pretending, we have downplayed fundamental problems and funding concerns. Everyone acknowledges we have a sluggish economy here. Now, Gov. Deval Patrick has ripped the sheet off the rest of the mess.
A few legislators still pretend that our huge deficit -- likely over a billion dollars this year -- is really an accounting and framing issue. You can understand why they would say that. It helps relieve them of their culpability in spending on pet projects while ignoring the hard funding issues.
The Patrick administration is saying the king has no clothes, or in this case, the infrastructure is crumbling and needs a massive overhaul of spending priorities to fix it. Likewise, the governor calls out corporations for their tax contributions that are among the lowest of any state and shrinking toward zero.
Here again, it's understandable that legislators want to watch out for and even protect their big contributors and golf buddies. Patrick is willing to: 1) admit that in his previous corporate life he hired people to exploit just such tax escape hatches, and 2) it's time that this game is over in Massachusetts.
Here we come to the roots of progressive politics. You identify the problems that are hurting the public, you are willing to take responsibility for fixing them, and you specify the solutions.
This may be quite a shock to the General Court. It can only make them stronger as they have to deal with reality. It can only help us.
A huge and recurring progressive issue in Massachusetts has never been more obvious than it is with our new administration. It is the political problem of where does the buck stop or who's going to bell the cat.
Through years of Pollyanna pretending, we have downplayed fundamental problems and funding concerns. Everyone acknowledges we have a sluggish economy here. Now, Gov. Deval Patrick has ripped the sheet off the rest of the mess.
A few legislators still pretend that our huge deficit -- likely over a billion dollars this year -- is really an accounting and framing issue. You can understand why they would say that. It helps relieve them of their culpability in spending on pet projects while ignoring the hard funding issues.
The Patrick administration is saying the king has no clothes, or in this case, the infrastructure is crumbling and needs a massive overhaul of spending priorities to fix it. Likewise, the governor calls out corporations for their tax contributions that are among the lowest of any state and shrinking toward zero.
Here again, it's understandable that legislators want to watch out for and even protect their big contributors and golf buddies. Patrick is willing to: 1) admit that in his previous corporate life he hired people to exploit just such tax escape hatches, and 2) it's time that this game is over in Massachusetts.
Here we come to the roots of progressive politics. You identify the problems that are hurting the public, you are willing to take responsibility for fixing them, and you specify the solutions.
This may be quite a shock to the General Court. It can only make them stronger as they have to deal with reality. It can only help us.
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